This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at IU chapter.
Hello, lovely Hoosier ladies, and welcome to IU!
We, at Her Campus IU, have spent a good amount of time reminiscing about our first years at IU. HCIU wants to share some tips from a seasoned and experienced Hoosierette to help make your first year – or any year – in Bloomington the best it can possibly be.
- Do be yourself. Yes, it is a cliché. Yes, you have heard it a million times. Your college years are a time where you can just be you and the rest will fall into place. Whether it’s rushing sororities or rushing to your favorite pizza place with your dorm floor, you’ll make friends and find a group that’ll help make Bloomington your home away from home.
- Do try new things. You have four years here to explore the wonderful town of Bloomington and the IU campus. There’s something unique happening everyday here, so get out and soak up the Hoosier experience.
- Don’t say you’ll start tomorrow. Procrastinating has never helped anyone, and certainly not in M118.
- Do take an elective course for fun. Whether you love it or hate it, you’ll be doing something you’ve never done before (hello, number two). You can even check it off your bucket list. Maybe you’ll find a new hobby while you’re at it.
- Don’t forget about your family or friends back home.
- Do learn to use the bus route. You’ll thank us when the negative temperatures in January kick in.
- Do join a club – or clubs, with an “s”. You’ll make amazing friends and build your resume. Enough said.
- Don’t focus only on partying. We all know that a wild night out can be a great time, but don’t let that one night of fun jeopardize important things like your grades or finances.
- Don’t be afraid or ashamed to feel overwhelmed. College is tough. If you don’t think so now, wait until midterms, finals, etc. come around. Work hard no matter how tough it gets work hard and remember grades aren’t everything. Don’t forget to stay positive.
- Do go on a few first dates.
- Don’t give into peer pressure. Another cliché, but you’ll be much happier when you are in complete control of your decisions. Do what feels right for you.
- Do have fun. Live it up; you’re young and in college.
- Do give yourself a break.
- Don’t be afraid to change your major. Most people will change their major at some point. If you think something else will better fit your future career, then give it a go. Who knows where it will take you.
- Do prepare for the world outside of college. College can be like a bubble, but then when you graduate that bubble will abruptly burst. Prepare gradually over the four years you have by meeting with your advisors to talk about your degree requirements, internship options and other things you can do now to be ready for when the big, caps off day comes.
- Don’t forget about all of the resources on campus. If you are feeling overwhelmed and need to vent about it, CAPS at the IU Health Center offers two free sessions of therapy per semester. There are a million places on campus to go to talk about any problem you may have. Any help is better than no help.
- Do go to IU sports events. Our sports teams here are so much fun to watch in person or on TV. It is a great opportunity for you and your friends to dress up in all of your IU spirit gear and cheer. Even if you do not have football or basketball season tickets, you can still check out other events that are free, like our IU soccer games.
- Do take plenty of pictures. The memories you will be making at IU will last a lifetime, and documenting them is a way to ensure you will always remember what it’s like to be a Hoosier.
Basically, be the best Hoosier you can be, and then some. Experience things. Meet people. Be awesome.